The COVID-19 crisis proves that telecommunications are crucial and satellite systems are very efficient, said Vincent Stephanopoli, CEO of BalkanSat, during the online workshop for start-ups “Stay safe, stay smart”, organizedby the company. He added that the Italian satellite network was actively used to deal with the difficult situation in the country, caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
“Proper telecommunication infrastructure provides more opportunities for the economies and communities to manage crises such as the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, a well-developed 5G ecosystem and secure technologies enable decentralization, which is very important. My forecast for the near future is that the information will continue to circulate freely all around the world, but the production will be mostly local and people will travel less frequently“, commented Vincent Stephanopoli, CEO of BalkanSat.
The online workshop „Stay safe, stay smart” was attended by Bulgarian start-ups, accelerator companies and institutions such as the Invest Bulgaria Agency. During the event important issues related to the start-up ecosystemand the investments opportunities in Bulgaria were discussed. Successful practices for dealing with crises were also shared. The event was organized by BalkanSat – a Bulgarian company, aiming to build and operate the first telecommunication satellite BALKANSAT 30B System. BalkanSat’s system will provide secure communication services over the Bulgarian territory.
“We use technology that has proven to work and we want to integrate it in the Bulgarian landscape in order to encourage business. BalkanSat has the ambition to work with local start-ups and accelerators. In this way we can create an environment of “can do” attitude and as a result produce an entirely Bulgarian product”, commented Victor Stephanopoli, Director of Public Affairs at BalkanSat.
The online workshop „Stay safe, stay smart“ was attended by Stamen Yanev, Executive Director of Invest Bulgaria Agency, who presented the new video promoting Bulgaria as a good destination for investments. He said that Bulgaria offers excellent conditions for start-ups’ development.
“The start-ups in Bulgaria have many opportunities for funding – within the operational program Innovation and Competitiveness, through the Bulgarian Development Bank and through the Fund of funds. The local start-up companies work on a variety of interesting and innovative projects. What is important is that an even stronger connection between the institutions and the business be built. The Invest Bulgarian Agency is always ready to support the start-up ecosystem and to build bridges between the different stakeholders”, said Stamen Yanev, Executive Director of Invest Bulgaria Agency.